summon the heroes

I'm not exactly sure when my love affair with the olympics began, because truthfully, I have very few memories of actually watching the Olympics. Apart from the unforgettable magnificent seven in Atlanta, I can't recall much of anything else. I found that to be a little odd.

On Saturday morning local time (Friday evening America time) we crowded in front of the computer eating our breakfast of chocolate donuts as we watched the spectacular opening ceremonies begin. We could have opted to watch local TV and seen it live, or caught it the next morning with American commentary. We chose the American commentary. =)

I also realized as I watched the opening ceremony that I have never seen an opening ceremony before. I mean, I showed the girls some clips off YouTube from the Sydney olympics (as part of our "olympic activities" - we made torches, a few flags, and the above-pictured Olympic cookies).

I have to admit, I was impressed with the ceremony. Totally, jaw-dropping, impressed. I absolutely loved the drums at the beginning, though it took me a while to figure out that the drums were the lights. I loved the way they so creatively used masses of people, from the boat oars to the printing press blocks to the way they encircled the children at the end - I thought it was a brilliant and overwhelming display of humanity.

I was a little surprised at the choice of displaying china's naval history. I wouldn't consider myself a scholar of chinese history by anny means, but I did study quite a bit of chinese history in college. I would not consider chinese history to have had any particularly long or particularly strong periods of naval exploration, but the oars were cool.

The lighting of the torch at the end was a grand end to the ceremony and it makes you realize why everything was so hush-hush leading up to it. For a country that seldom gets cool points in my book, that was a truck load of cool points. I'll say it again - I was thoroughly impressed.

The degree of my pride (can I say pride? for a country I don't belong to?) on saturday morning equally paralleled the degree of my shock at the death of an American just a few hours later. The entire circumstance was so strangely un-chinese and so bizarre, I still have trouble wrapping my mind around it. I have never felt physically dangered in my life overseas, yet have many a time hae nervously locked my car door when driving through certain parts of Oklahoma City. I still can't quite understand the tragic event, though I feel strangely sympathetic with the government, who no doubt has lost a lot of face in this multi-billion dollar event intended to gain face.

Onto happier things, my children now offically can sing (or, can sing along) to the national anthem! That was one of our pre-olympic activities, and they were jazzed to know it and hear the story about how Americans were so brave. They have enjoyed watching the medal ceremonies where they heard our national anthem being played - though what was up with Phelps' anthem being cut short? I mean, really? That stinks.

I am proud to have added fencing to my new list of "watchable olympic sports." Ok, if you promise to still all like me, I will admit the truth - I was on pins and needles for large portions of the women's individual sabre competition (one part of the fencing event). It was way cool. It was even cooler that we swept the medals.

We are eagerly waiting for the gymnastics to begin in full swing, love the swimming, and now I feel obligated to stick with the US women's volleyball team because I stayed up SO late watching their first match last night - I've already invested too much time in them now to give up.

Even though our cell phones get text messages proudly declaring when the host country wins a medal, I'm still rooting on the stars and stripes to continue its olympic dominance! Go Team USA!!!

*** A very special and public thanks to Tom M. for giving us the ability to watch all this great athleticism in our own language!! ***